Facilitating transition of young people with long term health conditions from children’s to adult’s health services – implications of a 5-year research programme

Allan Colver, Tim Rapley, Jeremy R Parr, Helen McConachie, Gail Dovey-Pearce, Ann Le Couteur, Janet Mcdonagh, Caroline Bennett, Gregory Maniatopoulos, Mark S Pearce, Debbie Reape, Nichola Chater, Helena Gleeson, Luke Vale

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background

During transition from children’s to adults’ healthcare, young adults with long term conditions may show delays in psychosocial development compared to their peers without long term conditions, and deterioration of their condition’s medical control.

Methods

This paper integrates the findings, already published in ten separate papers, of a 5-year Transition Research Programme.

Implications

There is an important role for funders (commissioners) of adults’ services to fund transitional healthcare, in addition to funders of children’s services who currently take responsibility.

It is important that healthcare provider organisations adopt an organisation-wide approach to implementation to ensure that good practice is adopted in children’s and adults’ services, not just adopted by enthusiasts in some specialties. This includes provision of ‘Developmentally Appropriate Healthcare’ which recognises the changing biopsychosocial developmental needs of young people.

Three features of transitional healthcare were associated with improved outcomes: ‘Appropriate parent involvement’, ‘Promotion of young people’s confidence in managing their health’ and ‘Meeting the adult team before transfer’. These should be maintained or introduced as a priority.
Child and adult healthcare providers should routinely explore with a young person how he/she approaches transition and personalise their clinical approach thereafter.

These implications are relevant for a range of stakeholders, including funders of transitional healthcare, organisations providing transitional healthcare, and clinical practitioners.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)74-80
JournalClinical medicine (London, England)
Volume20
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2020

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